News Detail

S.O.R.T.A. BOARD TO HOLD SPECIAL MEETING ON JULY 25 TO MAKE DECISION ON HAMILTON COUNTY SALES TAX LEVY

Jul 17, 2018

At a special meeting on July 25 at 9 a.m., the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) will decide whether or not to request a Hamilton County sales tax on this November’s ballot and, if so, at what level.

As a regional transit authority, SORTA is able to place a sales tax initiative on the ballot by submitting the request to the Hamilton County Board of Elections. The deadline for the Nov. 6, 2018 election is Aug. 8.

State law allows a regional transit authority like SORTA to request sales tax in increments of 0.10% or 0.25% (not to exceed 1.5%). SORTA has been considering sales tax options between 0.5% and 1.0%.

SORTA currently receives local funding from the City of Cincinnati’s earnings tax.

SORTA would no longer receive the City earnings tax if a sales tax is approved.

The sales tax would fund the Reinventing Metro plan, which was developed with extensive community input over the past three years.

The Reinventing Metro plan includes:• New bus routes, designed to connect people to jobs in Hamilton County• More frequent service, more weekend service, more early/late service• 24-hour service on six major corridors• New crosstown routes, small-bus circulator service, new transit centers• Access service expansion consistent with expanding routes for people with disabilities• Bus Rapid Transit

About

In December 2017, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority’s Board of Trustees reviewed the Reinventing Metro plan concept, which outlines transit improvements that are possible if new sales tax funding is secured. This represents the culmination of almost three years’ worth of community outreach and planning.